“The Fall Guy” (2024) Review
Written by Victor DeBonis
“The Fall Guy” feels made for those who love movies.
An early scene highlights this as a long take circles around Emily Blunt, portraying the director character and love interest of the film, while she gives instructions to crew members and makes decisions about the set-up of a risky shot. Blunt has always been a strong presence on the screen and provides much to admire when I see her in action. Yet, the passion and intensity of an artist still felt genuine.
She guides with the focus and high energy of someone who loves what she’s doing and wants to ensure the success of telling a story to grip and move audiences. Evidently, Blunt took inspiration from Greta Gerwig and several other real-life directors as she prepared for her role, and that work paid off to provide someone humorous but, also, quick-thinking and admirably devoted to doing what she loves.
Several moments and scenes, such as this, take time to explore the long craftsmanship and careful time taken to execute stunts properly (and as safely as they can) and make a movie happen, in general. It brought a respecting grin on my face to see “The Fall Guy” take time in between its humor and action to explore that.
Of course, Ryan Gosling also helps as the main hero and stunt man character in the movie. He deals with tons of insults and physical punishment tossed in his direction, and he tosses a sarcastic comeback in a near-deadpan fashion or slowly finds his way back up and prepares to do the take again. Some of his funniest moments involve him not even uttering a word and visually reacting or doing something to show his reluctant acceptance or righteous fury about a scenario. Gosling takes some hard collisions, but he gets back up and delivers punches and floors it in a fast car with impressive staying power. He is aware of the insanity of what is surrounding him, but he leans into the humor of the scenario, and the movie benefits from it all the more.
There is a debate about who our “last movie star” is, considering that big names for movies aren’t promoted to the extent that they used to be in the past.
Many automatically recognize Tom Cruise as the last true movie star we have, but I would add Ryan Gosling to the short list as well.
Cruise’s devotion to going beyond the norm to promote his movies and bring people to the theater (something I will always have the greatest respect for) is undeniable. However, when I think of a star who currently brings the most people to seats and has the power, charisma, and likability that carries from frame to frame with ease, I often think of Ryan Gosling.
Gosling’s work in this movie only further seals these thoughts. From scene to scene, he’s a blast to watch, and I’m reminded of why I’m always eager to see him appear in another movie.
As one might anticipate, the action sequences are well-performed and executed in exceptional fashion. Before directing, David Leitch did stunt work with countless movies, and, in many respects, there isn’t another director better suited for making “The Fall Guy” than him. He recognizes the time and planning needed to set up a convincing and amusing fight or chase, and the action in this movie doesn’t disappoint.
Gosling and his opponents swiftly throw heavy punches and roll around, and the camera turns just enough to watch them deliver the next swipe or block from a steady distance. Objects or fight settings sometimes shift in the action scenes, and the people simply carry on in their combat because they’re as invested as they are in evading the other. There is exceptional creativity with the set-up of these fight scenes and the camera movement following the fighters, which will sometimes follow them from near the ground to the top of a moving vehicle in a long take to present the ongoing action at hand. With this being a movie partly about making films, there are also a few clever jokes involving the use of props rather than a real and more lethal weapon of choice.
“The Fall Guy” is also one of the most well-made love stories I’ve seen on the big screen in a while.
Gosling and Blunt have excellent on-screen chemistry, exchanging a charming humor and openness in each other’s presence. Their love is evident in almost every frame from their caring glances in each other’s direction to their intense conversations in which they’re brainstorming work-related ideas and a few humorous observations about the other. Some of the best scenes in the movie don’t involve a moment of action but, instead, they come from the two of them voicing their conflicted feelings of hurt and confusion about their relationship and its future.
The story does this in a creative spirit, too, via allowing the characters to sometimes use the movie they’re working on as a way of discussing their emotions about the situation between the two of them. An example of this is when Blunt talks to her stuntman/former boyfriend about the angry emotions of the cowboy character from the movie she’s directing when, in fact, she’s venting about the hurt that she endured when things ended between them in their relationship.
One of the most wonderful things about art is its ability to voice conflicted feelings from one’s self
The scene in which Blunt vents all of her complicated feelings via her bullhorn in a scene is perfection partly from the timing and the humorous reactions, both visually and vocally, but from listening to her voice her frustration at having to see someone she still cares about but also recognizes the pain of what happened when someone she trusted so much didn’t respond in such a great way. None of what those from the couple do as they try to recover from the earlier heartbreak is ever done out of mean-spiritedness or pettiness, either. They are open about their concerns regarding their relationship and work as well as each other because, despite their fears about going through heartbreak again, they care about each other.
I can’t remember the last time I witnessed an on-screen couple be this openly vulnerable and sound this sincere with each other, and I loved it.
I was heavily invested in Blunt and Gosling’s relationship and cared about them and was hopeful about their future together.
I should also take a moment and state this: The dog in “The Fall Guy” also rocks. Well-trained and useful in some of the humor, the dog in this film is simultaneously cute and ferocious in the moments of action. It was charming to witness Gosling speak to the dog as he drove along with him and command him to attack the goons trying to take both of them down.
A part of me wishes there was a little more of the dog in the movie.
Then, again, I’m a firm believer that life needs more dogs, in general, but I digress…
Although they are used only in specific moments, the needle drops superbly fuel the sugar-rush energy of this blockbuster. One specific track from KISS (probably one of my favorite love songs in all of rock) is played a few times and echoes the crazy, strong passion of the main couple while also causing my head to bob and move in great approval. And, there is one familiar love pop tune that is ironically used in a specific action scene, but the reason for why it is used and by the person using it resulted in creating a simultaneously thrilling, heartbreaking, and genuinely touching sequence. It’d be a stretch to call the soundtrack up there with the likes of, say, “The Crow” or the “Guardians” movies or any of Scorsese’s work, but the tracks on this movie are a blast to listen to and match almost perfectly with the vibe of the characters and action.
The subplot involving the search for the missing movie star sometimes feels longer than it actually is. Plus, the mystery itself isn’t especially interesting or filled with any astonishing turns or clues.
Regardless of this, “The Fall Guy” rocks.
The film never loses its sense of charm and fun, and I felt a deep rush of energy as I watched this blockbuster on this giant screen. It was an absolute blast to witness the chemistry and passion from Blunt and Gosling’s relationship. Witnessing this film’s heartfelt ode to stunt people and movies, in general, made the cinema lover in me all types of happy, and it provided just enough references to never feel superfluous and always lead me feeling happy for knowing which one-liner came from which movie that the characters in the film were calling back to via discussion. The action is thrilling, and David Leitch once more proves himself as someone whose background in stunts has led to a superb artist behind the camera.
To those seeking different blockbusters that are thrilling and filled with charm and passion as much as its main heroes are and recognize the fun and importance of the movies themselves, “The Fall Guy” is it.
Grade: A